The present invention relates generally to pans or trays used in the production and preparation of baked goods or other food, and specifically to structurally reinforced and highly sanitary flat sheet pans for use in high-volume industrial baking applications.
For many years, flat sheet pans have been among the most commonly used baking pans by professional bakers and foodservice oriented companies. Applications and uses for flat sheet pans include the commercial production of baked goods (i.e., wholesale bakeries), quick-service food chains, and/or home use. Despite their effectiveness and utility, over time and with repeated use, these flat sheet pans typically fail and must be replaced due to a tendency of the bottom portion of the pan to bow down and a tendency of the perimeter of the pan to flare outward. Such use-related damage can significantly hinder performance, thereby necessitating replacement of the pan.
In addition to repeated-use related issues, another problem or weakness of flat sheet pans is lack of or insufficient sanitation. Nearly all commercially available sheet pans are manufactured with a metal reinforcement wire or band that is placed in the rim of the pan. This reinforcement wire is wrapped by and enclosed within the material of the pan and adds structural integrity that is required for heavy use. However, because the reinforcement wire is not sealed within the rim, corrosion or other contaminants that occur within the area of the non-sealed wire cannot be completely cleaned or removed, thereby creating a food-safety risk. This food-safety risk prevents flat sheet pans having this design from being certified by NSF International or from meeting other industry sanitation and food-safety standards.
NSF International is a global independent public health and environmental organization that provides standards development, product certification, testing, auditing, education and risk management services for public health and the environment. NSF uses the terms “certified” or “listed” in connection with a product, good, component, system, material, compound or ingredient. A product that is certified or listed means that NSF: (i) reviewed the product, most often through a sampling of the product; (ii) determined at the time of the review that the product complied with the relevant NSF consensus standard and/or protocol; and (iii) conducted or will conduct periodic audits to review whether the product continues to comply with the standard. After NSF certifies a product, the manufacturer of the product may use the NSF Mark on or in connection with the sale, use or distribution of that product. The NSF Mark conveys that an independent, third-party organization (NSF) has determined that the product complies with the relevant standard.
Thus, given the significant aforementioned deficiencies, there is an ongoing need for a structurally reinforced flat sheet pan that may be used for industrial/commercial purposes and that does not include design aspects that create sanitation concerns and prevent necessary or desirable certifications, such as NSF certification, from being obtained.